1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to animal litter materials and, more particularly, to a natural absorbent compacted composition consisting essentially of clay, a finely divided cellulosic material and finely divided pine without an additional binder or water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Accumulation of animal waste materials inside animal stalls has been an age-old problem causing noxious odors and unsanitary environmental conditions that are harmful to the health of animals.
In general, when an animal urinates, the urine will subsequently form a fairly large moist area in the stall. Ammonia formed during the biological breakdown of the urine emanates highly objectionable odors and is capable of causing harmful health risks to an animal, especially a foal. Such ammonia is known to cause numerous equine health hazards, such as foal pneumonia. Because the foal stands closer to the floor and spends more time lying down in the stall where there are substantial concentrations of ammonia, the foal is at a greater risk of being exposed to the fumes.
In order to deal with such problems, various litter materials have been utilized for removing and absorbing the animal waste materials. For example, absorbent animal bedding has been used for absorbing and mixing with the animal waste materials. Once the animal waste materials are absorbed by or mixed with the absorbent bedding, the soiled bedding can be removed along with the animal waste materials.
Desirable animal litter materials should possess good absorption characteristics, resistance to dusting and an acceptable bulk density along with good odor reducing capability because of the problems such as described above.
Clay has been used in various ammonia odor-absorbing materials. The clay addition has been found to significantly reduce odors.
Such litter materials are conventionally formed using a binder or water addition.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,129,094 discloses a process forming animal litters using about 1 to about 10 weight percent of water and/or binder such as synthetic hydrophilic polymer or an inorganic material such as synthetic hydrophilic polymers including polyvinylalcohol, polyacrylic acid, polymethacrylic acid, polyacrylamide, hydroxyalkylmethacrylates and hydroxyalkylacrylates, polyethylene oxides, etc. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,684 discloses a process for extruding smectite clay (bentonite-containing clays) wherein the smectite clay is shear extruded with large amounts of water and/or an adhesive binder.
However, if an artificial or chemical substance is used instead of a natural material, it could be harmful to the health of the animals. Also, the additional process of adding a binder or water results in a relatively expensive and more complicated process. Further, the litter products formed using an additional wetting process tend to show low water uptake capability because of subsequent high moisture content of the absorbent composition caused from the wetting process.
Accordingly, a need remains for a natural absorbent compacted composition formed without an additional binder or water having good absorption characteristics, resistance to dusting and odor removing capability, thereby helping to improve animal health and eliminate unpleasant odors.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a natural absorbent compacted composition consisting essentially of clay, a finely divided cellulosic material, and finely divided pine. The amount of finely divided cellulosic material and pine is sufficient to bind the composition into a compacted form without an additional binder or water while reducing the friction heat during compaction to no greater than about 200xc2x0 F.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of forming an all natural absorbent compacted composition of low moisture and without using an additional binder, which can be separated easily from solid waste droppings for disposal.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the finely divided cellulosic material is fir.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the pine is present in an amount of about 25% by weight of the total composition.
In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for forming an absorbent compacted composition comprising the steps of: providing a finely divided cellulosic material, providing finely divided pine, mixing the finely divided cellulosic material and pine with clay, and compacting the mixture.
Further, the absorbent compacted composition of the present invention is preferably an all natural product. Thus, the use of chemical additives harmful to the animals can be avoided. Further, the composition of the present invention is neutral in pH and is a good nitrogen source. And the composition has a slow time release nitrogen addition to the soil.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention that proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.